Sheet-metal-edging machine.



E. E. LUGEWEOE. SHEET METAL EUGENE MEGHIN'E. l

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

fa/"Mey EATE'NTEE MAE. 15, 1904.

No. 754,786. PATENTED MAR. l5, 1904.

' E. E. LOGKWOOD.

SHEET METAL EDGING MACHINE. ArPLIoATIoN FILED JUNI; 15. 1903.

WVz'neuSes IVY/(Q7 7 A enfer v Agrawal W alf] UTTED STATES Patented March 1 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SHEET-METAL-EDGING MACHINE.

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 754,786, dated March 15 1904.

Application filed June l5, 1903. Serial No. 161,541. (Nomodel.)`

To all whom it' may concern.-

Beit known that I, EDWIN F. LocKwooD, a citizen of the United States of America, andl a resident of Bellevue, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet- Metal-Edging Machines, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to "certain improvements in devices for bending or seaming sheet metals, such as are employed for producing upon the edges of metal sheets or plates the angular bends adapted to interlock when the edges are joined together or seamed; and the object of the invention is to provide a device of this general character of a simple and inexpensive nature and of a strong and durable structure which shall be adapted for operation in a substantially continuous manner, the metal sheets or plates being passed through 'between the bending or seaming devices successively7 without requiring the movement of said devices to be stopped, so that a greatlyincreased capacity and output of work is effected.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, combination, and arrangement of'the several parts of the improved bending or seaming device, whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my improvements, Figure 1 is a sectional view taken vertically and longitudinally through the improved seaming or bending device, the plane of the section being indicated by the line a a, in Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section taken through the device and showing the construction and arrangement of the first set of bending or seaming rolls thereof. Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to'Fig. 3, lbut showing the construction and arrangement of the second set of seaming or bending rolls of the device. Fig. fis an enlarged fragmentary perspective detail view showing (inverted) the structure andarrangement of the lower die or former over which one edgeportion of the inetal sheet or plate is bent in the 'operation of the device. Fig. 6 is a view drawn to a reducedscale and showing the formation of the bends produced vin the metal sheets or plates 'by the first set or series of rolls of the device. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6,` but showing the bends produced in the sheet or plate after passage between the second series orset of rolls of the device. Fig. 8 is a view somewhat similar to the foregoing views, Figs. 6 and 7, but showing two edge portions having interlocked bends such as are produced by the improved bending-or seaming device. l,

The improved bendingor seaming device, as shown in these views, comprises a frame comprising side plates l 1, spaced apart and connected at front and rear of the device by means of cross bars or braces 2 and 4:, respectively, the forward cross bar or brace 2 being provided at opposite ends with longitudinal slots 5 5, through which are passed'bolts 6 6, the lower ends of which, as seen in Fig. 1, have nuts and the upper ends of which have heads engaged with guides or gages 7 7 of angular cross-section, the vertical portions of which serve to engage the edges of the sheets or plates being fed into the machine, while the horizontal portions thereof Aform a rest or tableat the forward part of the device, over which the materials are fed. By loosening the nuts on the bolts 6 the gages or guides 7 7 may be adjusted toward or from each other to accommodate the machine for receiving sheets or plates of metal of different widths.

Upon the cross bar or brace 4 at the rear or delivery end ot' the device is also supported a table 8, serving as a support over which the bent or seamed sheets or plates are passed when discharged from the device. At the rear or delivery end of the device is also arranged another .cross lbar or brace 9, extended in a plane over the path in which the sheets or:

plates are passed through thc device inthe operation thereof.

10 indicates a drive -shaft extended transversely of the frame below the path of the sheets or plates through the device and having one end provided with a band-wheel orpuliey l1, adapted to receive a band or belt, so that IOO the .device may be driven from a suitable source of power, and 12 indicates gearing at one side of the frame and by means of which the rotatory movement of shaft 1() is transmitted to a shaft 13, journaled transversely of the frame above shaft/1() and also above the path of the sheets or plates through the device.

Below the shaft 10 and at opposite sides thereof and at one of the side plates 1 are arranged other gear-wheels 14: and 15 by means of which the movement of shaft 10 is transmitted to other alined shafts 16 and 17, respectively, in front of and behind the shaft 10 and also below the path of the sheets or plates through the device. The movement of shafts 16 and 17 is also transmitted through gearing 18 and 2O to other alined shafts 19 and 21 above the plane of feed and located, respectively, above the forward and rear shafts 16 and 17.

From the above description it will be seen that the improved bending or seaming device comprises three sets of shafts geared to turn in unison and the plane of feed of the material vpassed through the device extends centrally between the shafts of each of these pairs, so that the several mechanisms carried upon the shafts of each pair are permitted to successively operate upon the plates or sheets as they are fed through the device, as will be hereinafter explained.

Upon the shafts 16 and 19 of the first pair are held lower and upper feed-rolls 23 23 of similar structure, between the bight of which the sheets or plates are passed, as indicated at :r in the drawings, the'movement of these rolls serving to impel the sheets or plates through the device when once .they are gripped between the said rolls.

22 indicates va fender formed of a metal plate extended across the forward or feed end of the machine and beneath which the sheets-or plate are fed into the bight of rolls 23 23, this fender serving to protect the hands of the operator from being caught in the rolls and also aiding in the insertion of the sheets or plates. 'I

Upon the central pair of vertically-alined i shafts 1() and 13 are held a series or set of rolls adapted to operate upon the edge portions of the sheets or plates :r passed between them, such set or series comprising two lower rolls 2s, 24: and two upper rolls 25 25, the arrangement ofthe rolls upon these central shafts 10 and 13 being such that there is an upper and a lower roll 25 and 24C, respectively, `adjacent to each side plate 1 of the device and adapted to operate upon and bend each side portion of the metal sheet or plate fed through the device.

Upon the third or rearrnost pair of vertieally-alined shafts 17 and 21 are also helda series or set of rolls also adapted to operate upon the edge portions of the sheets or plates iz: passed between them, and this set or series of rolls comprises two lower rolls 26 26 and two upper rolls 27 27, the arrangement of these rolle upon the rearmost shafts17 and being also such that there is an upper and a lower roll 27 and 26 adjacent to each side plate of the frame and adapted to operate upon each edge portion of the sheet or plate of metal .as itis fed through the devicel in the operation thereof. y

The arrangement of the first set or series of bending-rolls upon the central pair of shafts 10 and 13 is shown in detail 'in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, and the arrangement of the rolls of the second pair or set upon the rearmost shafts 17 and 21 is shown in detail in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Where the sheet or plate metal to be bent or seamed is designed for use inthe manufacture of stovepipe, spouts, cans, and similar articles, it will be understood that the bends upon one edge portion of the sheet or plate will be interlocked with those upon the opposite edge portion of the same sheet, whereby it will be evident that the bends upon opposite edge portions of the same sheet must be opposite] y directedthatis, one bend must be upon one side surface of the sheet, while the other bend must be upon the other side surface, as indicated in Fig. 7 which shows the arrangement of the bends in such cases. To secure such an arrangement of the bends upon opposite edge portions of the sheets or pieces of metal, it is essential that the rolls at one side of the device shall be adapted to bend the edge portions of thep sheets or plates upward, while the rolls at the other side of the devicey shall be adapted to bend the edge portions of the sheets downward, and to secure this result the lower roll 24 at one end of the drive-shaft 10 (the right-hand end, as shown in Fig. 3) is end of the corresponding upper roll 2 5 on the end of the upper shaft 13, as indicated at 1n the drawings. In a similar way the upper roll 25 at the opposite end of the upper shaft 13 is provided with a peripheral projecting flange 30, as shown at the left-hand end of' Fig. 3, which in the operation of the device is designed to be'nd the' opposite or 'left-hand, 'edge portion of the metal sheet or plate m downward over theend surface. of the corresponding lower roll 24, as indicated at w' in the drawings.

From the above description it will be seen that the first set'or series of rolls 24-and 25 upon shafts 10 and 13 is adapted to bend` the edge portions of the metal sheets in such a way that they stand at about right angles from opposite surfaces of the sheets, as indicated ,in Figs. 3 and 6, and the second set or series of rolls 26 and 27 upon the rearmost shafts 17 and 21 is designed to flatten these angular bends 11:' m over upon the surfaces of the sheets, so that they will be adapted to be interlocled with each other when the edge IIO . with the rolls of said second set or series there are provided dieser formers abov e and below the Kmetal sheet or plate :t and over and beneath which the said edge portions of the sheet are adapted to be'bentVtheI function of such dies or formers being to prevent the edge portions of the sheets from lbeing bent flush upon the side surfaces of the sheets and to hold the edges apart from the side surfaces, as indiA cated in Figs. 4 and 7, so that the edge por' tions 00'; and mi may be interlocked with each other.

Accordingly itwill be seen that the roll 27 at the right-hand end of the upper rear shaft 21is provided with a peripheral projecting flange 34, adapted to project down upon and overlapthe adjacent end surface of the corresponding' lower roll 26 at that end of shaft 17, While the lower roll 26 at the other or lefthand end of the lower rear shaft 17 is pro- .vided with a similar peripheral projecting flange 33, overlapping the end surface of the corresponding upper roll 27 upon shaft 21. Between the rolls 26` and 27 at the right-hand ends of the'rear shafts 17 and 21, as the parts are shown in Fig. 4, and upon the upper side of the metal sheet is also arranged the die or former for theA edge'portion fr* of the metal sheet, while between the rolls 26 and 27 at the,

left-hand ends of said shafts, but upon the lower side` of the metal sheet m, is arranged the die or former for the left-hand side portion :r3 of the metal sheet. By this arrangement of the flanges upon the rolls of the second set or series it will be seen that the angular edge portions a a" of the sheet are prevented by said flanges from outward movement toward the side frames of the device and are caused to be engaged bythe peripheral portions of the corresponding rolls in such a way' as to flatten said portions over inward upon the interposed dies or formers 37 and 39, one edge' portion .1:3 being flattened beneath thel under surface of the sheet .'11, while the other edge portion is flattened above the upper surface of the sheet, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 7 of the drawings. To receive the flattened edge portion w upon the under side of the sheet fr, the lcf't-hand lower roll 26 on therear lower shaft 17 is provided with a peripheral recess or groove 35, the remaining ungrooved portion of' the periphery of said roll 26 being' adapted to bear upon the central plane por- 4tion of the metal sheet fr, so'as to impel the same through the device, 'and for a similar purpose the right-hand upper roll 27lupon the upper rear shaft 21 is peripheral ly grooved,

The upper die or former 37 has an up-'Iv war'dly-directed shank or stem 38, which is ex@- tended upwardy and has connection withthe upper cross bar or brace 9 at the rear of the frame, and the lower die or former has, as seen in Fig. 5,. a similar shank or stem 40, which is extended downward and has'connece tion with the frame in any desiredway.

In orderto accommodate the ,bendingior seaming mechanisms comprising the .two sets or series of' lolls for operation in connection lwith sheets or plates of different widths, Ipro-4 vide each. of the said rolls with a reduced boss 28, carrying a set-screw, whereby the roll may be securely heldto the shaf'twhereon-it is mounted. ABy loosening these set-screws .the

rolls are capable of adjustment lengthwise of' the shafts toward and away from each other, so as to properly engage the edge portions of metal sheets of' different widths ina yway which will be readily understood.

W'here articles are made from heavy metal.-

vwith a peripheral groove or channel 31, into which the sheet-metal piece :u is pressedby a peripheral projection 32, produced upon the corresponding upper roll 25, as indicated at i172 in Figs. 3, 6, and 7. To prevent straightening out of the crease rc2 thus formed while the sheet .fn is being passed lbetween the upper and lower rolls of thescond set or series, I provide the right-,hand lower roll 26 of said second set or series with a peripheral groove or recess 35, in which the creased or offset edge portion of the sheet .fr is received, ask shown clearly ixrFig. 4 of thedrawings.

In the operation of the improvedy bending or seaining device the sheets or plates of metal are successively fed over the guides or gages 7 7 and beneath the fender 22 tothe bight ofthe feed-rolls 23, by which said sheets or plates are gripped and carried into the device and presented first between. the rolls of `the first set or series, which produce rightangled bends upon the edge portions of the sheets, and finally between the rolls of the second set or series, which act to bend or flatten the previously-formed right-angled bends over inward to producethe finished product,

IIO

as indicated in Fig. 7, after which the sheet 1 Where it is. desired .to bend or flange heavy Y metal--such asis employedin the manufacture of stovepip'les, dowu-spouts, and the like-1t 1svery desirable to employ the means for pro- ISO 4assi' rivalutare ener ducing the crease or offsetuz; but where the device is einployed for working light metal-u such as is commonly used for small pails, cans, and light tubing and the like-it is not so desirable to produce a flush exterior surface upon the nished article, and4 consequently the creasing means above referred to may be dispensed with.

From the above description it will be seen that the device is of an ,extremely simple and inexpensive nature and is especially well adapted for use, since it is capable of operation ina substantially continuous manner to flange or bend the edges of the sheets, and consequently affords a greatly-increased output of work over what has been secured from devices such as have heretofore been employed.

It will also be obvious from the above description that the device may be employed with equal facility upon all kinds of sheet metal which it is possible to join by seeming, and I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the employment of the device for seaming metals for'any\ particular purpose. ANot only may sheet metal for ,the manufacture-of stovepipes, down-spouts, and cans be seemed or flangedby the device, but metals for the manufacture of roofing, pails, and various tubular articles may also be flanged by means of the device; nor do I wish to be understood asv limiting myself to the employment of the precise structure herein shown and described in carrying out my invention in practice, since it is evident that the device is capable of considerable modification without .material departure from the principles and spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- ,1. A device of the character described comprising Vtwo parallel series of driven shafts, each'series comprising an upper and a lower shaft parallel with each other, two sets of corresponding edging-rolls held on each series of shafts, each set '0f rolls being adapted to bend an edge portion of a metal sheet passed between them and dies or forniers extended between the respective rolls of each set on one series of shafts and around which the metal sheet is adapted to be bent.

2. A device of the character described comprising two parallel series of driven shafts, each series comprising an upper and a lower shaft parallel with each other, two sets of corresponding edging-rolls held on each series of shafts, each set of rolls being provided with set-screws for holding them to their respective upper and lower shafts, and being adapted to bend an edge portiouof a metal sheet passed between them and dies or formers extended between the respective rolls of each set on one series of shafts and around which the metal sheet is adapted to be bent.

each series comprising parallel upper and lower shafts, two sets of corresponding edging-rolls held on each series of shafts and adapted to bend opposite edge portions of a .metal sheet passed between them, one roll of each set being provided with a peripheral projection adapted'to bend an edge of the metal sheet over an end of the other roll of that set,

and one roll of each set on one series of shafts having a circumferential recess in which the bent edge portion of the metal sheet is adapted to be received and dies or formers' extende ed between each set of rolls on that series of shafts and held in said circumferential recesses.

4. A device of the character described comprising two parallel series of driven shafts, each series comprising parallel upper and lower shafts, two sets of corresponding edging-rolls held on each series of shafts and adapted to bend opposite edge portions f a metal sheet passed between them, each set of rolls on one series of shafts being alined with a set of rolls on the other series of shafts and y being adapted to bend an edge of the metal sheet in a direction opposite to that in which the opposite edge of such sheet is bent by the other set of rolls on that series of shafts 'md dies or foi-mers extended between the rolls of each set on one series of shafts and having oppositely-directed supporting-Shanks.

5. A device of the character described comprising two parallel series of driven shafts, each series comprising .parallel upper and lower shafts, two sets of corresponding edging-rolls held on each series of shafts and adapted to bend opposite edge portions of a metal sheet passed between them, each set of rolls on one ,series of shafts being alined with a set of rolls on the other series of shafts and being adapted to bend an edge of the metal sheet in a direction opposite to that in which the opposite edge of each sheet is bent vby the other set of rolls on that series of shafts, dies or formel-s extended between the rolls of each set on one series of shafts vand having oppositely-directed supporting-Shanks, feed-rolls extended i'n front of said parallel upper and lower-'shafts with their bight arranged to. grip a metal sheet to direct it between the edgingrolls, a feed-table extended in front of the feed-rolls and over which metal sheets are adapted to be fed and a fender also extended in front of the feedl'olls and formed of a metal plate the lower edge of which is spaced above the feed-table to permit a metal sheet to be fed over said table beneath the said edge of the fender.

Signed at Cincinnati, Ohio, this 11th day of June, 1903.

JOHN ELrAs Jonas. O. E. Tart-ien; 

